Thunder Ryuko and Emily Nelson vs. SA-KI and Zero Kotobuki - Stand Tall

[BlackAkuma]

Match Type: Standard Tag
Victory Conditions: Victory by pinfall, submission, or knockout.

”Is this outfit making my ass look big?” SA-KI twisted around in the dressing room mirror, looking over herself from head to toe, trying to get every possible angle. ”I think it makes my ass look big.”

Freia sighed and looked up from her phone for what had to be the - tenth time? Eleventh? She was honestly losing track at this point. Not for lack of ability but lack of caring. It had been twenty minutes since the two of them ‘borrowed’ this dressing room in LAW’s backstage area, wanting a private space to get ready for SA-KI’s big match. When they’d gone in, Freia had expected her former Queen’s Combination partner only to need a few minutes to slide into her suit, just like they did all the time back with Wrestle Angels. Instead, she’d turned it into an extended preening session, checking her makeup repeatedly, tugging her costume in this way and that, trying to get her mask put on just right. No detail was too small to be focused on, no wrinkle was left unnoticed.

It was pre-match jitters. Her first time in a big ring in years. That didn’t make it any less annoying for Freia to sit through.

Freia crossed her legs and gave SA-KI a blank stare at first, not wanting to indulge the silliness even further, but when her partner leaned forward with a hardened glare, it became apparent she wasn’t letting this go anytime soon. The sooner she went with, the sooner they could move on with their lives. ”Yes. Yes, you look fat in that. Hideous, horrible, terrifying, an absolute beast.” She flopped back in the chair and let her arms dangle. ”Can we go, now? Honestly, I don’t even know why you care so much. They don’t care how you look out there, they’re going to boo you, regardless.”

SA-KI’s lip curled in disgust, but she let it go and reached behind her back to zip up her suit all the way. ”Just because they don’t care and you don’t care doesn’t mean I shouldn’t care. Some of us don’t want to go around dressed like sluts all day.”

Freia had a huffing laugh at that one, shaking her head. Not the first time she’d heard a crack like that, but she’d hoped SA-KI was more original. ”Because looking like a sentai ranger is so much better.” Freia kicked up her legs, popped to her feet, and promptly stuck the phone into her bra, getting it nice and snug so she could free up her hands. She made her way behind SA-KI, and brought her hands to the woman’s shoulders, starting up a good rub. Working on those tender muscles. ”Just. Relax. You’re getting into your own head.”

Freia leaned forward just enough to whisper sweet words into her ear as best she could, with the silly mask blocking it. ”We’re going to dominate this division. We’re going to dominate this league. Now, go out there and show them why.”

***

The chorus of boos was in full swing before the Fallen Angels made their appearance, and to no one’s surprise, they didn’t grow any quieter when SA-KI’s music played and the group came out - well, minus Maria Crawford, who ‘had enough of Emily Nelson to last a lifetime’. The remaining three members would be more than enough to get the job, however. SA-KI and Zero Kotobuki made their way down the ramp, with Freia Kagami following right behind, moving with a proud, sensual sway to her hips. There was no question who the numbers game would favor, here, and she wouldn’t have it any other way - if they were dumb enough to take them on regardless, why not come with full strength?

Zero Kotobuki

[imghttps://i.ibb.co/T8Z4nPF/IMG-20220831-140916.pngimg]

SA-KI

Freia Kagami

”Soak it in, soak it in.” Freia held out her arms and smiled as the jeering grew louder, pouring over the them like waves. ”There we go, Japan. I missed you, too.”

Freia pulled up a chair at ringside and settled down as her compatriots scaled the apron and moved into position, both of them looking ready to go. Now, all they needed were the guests of honor…

[Underdoggo]

In the locker room, one of those guests of honor was trying not to have a panic attack.

Emily had come into this match itching for revenge. She had remembered how she had been just about to win, fair and square, against Maria before Emily and her crew had interevened. How she had been helpless, about to receive the beating of her career, until Thunder Ryuko had intervened. In that regard, Emily had been unbelievably lucky-- first to have been saved at all, and secondly that a wrestler of Ryuko's caliber has bothered to help her in the first place. And now, in a few minutes, she and one of the best wrestlers in Wrestle Angels, period, would be going out there to defeat Freia and her crew once and for all.

So why the hell was she so nervous?

Emily swallowed. She knew why. It was because Freia had, quite rightly, earned a terrifying reputation back in the old league. It was because, even if she hadn't been a relentless cheater, she had the skills and strength to be a legitimately great wrestler in her own right, coupled with a vicious streak a mile wide. Emily had never faced her before...but she had seen other women go up against her, and be humbled and humiliated for their efforts. Was that going to be her fate here, tonight?

No, Emily angrily told herself. No. She had Ryuko watching her back, and she had improved a lot since Wrestle Angels went out of business. She could do this, she told herself with a deep breath.

Spoiler

Fixing her hair, and adjusting her outfit, Emily stood up near the entrance to the arena, and strode through. Her theme music blared loudly, and the fans burst into cheers at the sight of her. But Emily wasn't paying attention to them: her gaze was focused on the three other women already at the ring, leering at her as she made her entrance.

Sliding under the bottom ropes, Emily stood to her full height, and glared daggers at Freia and her team...before reluctantly breaking eye contact, turning to watch for her tag team partner's arrival...

[Highfly]

Ryuko was ready to remind some fellow former angels why she was such a big deal there years ago. Clad in her wrestling attire the powerful Japanese grappler strut through the halls and appeared confident as she made her way toward the arena.

Her music began to play and she came out as the crowd cheered. She held her arms out and stood atop the ramp before walking to the ring looking focused as she glared a hole through the opposing team. She went from a smile to a scowl the closer she got to the ring before climbing onto the apron then through the ropes. She kept her gaze on the other team while speaking to Emily.

"All right.... do you want to start us off or should I?"

[BlackAkuma]

SA-KI paced about in their corner as Thunder Ryoko made her way down, coming in to small amount of fanfare. She looked just as threatening as she did during their Wrestle Angel days—always the star of the show, always the threat. Both she and Emily were fired up, so their work was cut out for them. Just her and the mute.

”Okay, you start off.” SA-KI nodded to Zero, who looked on with that same cold, impassive glare eternally on her face. ”Don’t go overboard, just work with them. I want to get a good mental idea of where they’re at.”

Zero, as usual, replied with only the slightest of nods, then stepped forward as SA-KI groaned and made her way to the apron. She moved to the center of the ring and stood perfectly still, so unmoving that she could’ve been mistaken for a mannequin, if not for the occasional blink.

[Underdoggo]

Emily watched as their rivals discussed amongst themselves, seemingly deliberating on who would go up first. Either one of them was a tough opponent-- SA-KI, with her deadly martial arts skills, and Zero, with her incredible striking power. Both would be hard opponents, no matter which of them stepped up to the plate. Still...this whole thing had begun with Emily. It was only fair that she be the first into the ring.

"I'll go first," she replied to Ryuko, before flashing her teammate an appreciative smile. "If things look rough, I won't hesitate to tag you in." And with that, she slid into the ring, and brushed her magenta hair back. Before her, Zero was standing perfectly still, eyeing her with that strange, soulless gaze of hers. Up close, the difference in height between the two women was evident, and yet that did not make Zero seem any less intimidating.

"Zero," Emily said, cordially but without warmth. "I don't believe we've ever faced each other before. So I'll make sure this is a defeat you remember." And with that, she began to circle the green haired girl, waiting for the bell.

[BlackAkuma]

Emily moved in, ready to fight.

Zero didn’t move.

Emily spouted out and taunted her.

Zero didn’t speak.

Still, impassive, and emotionless, she stayed true to her namesake as the referee came between them and raised her hand. It was only then that she showed signs of knowing where she was, as her arms came up and struck a fighting stance, one that would’ve been more at home in an MMA cage than a wrestling ring.

The bell rang, and then Zero moved - though, as fast as she went, you could be forgiven for missing it.

There wasn’t any tell, not a single hint of what she was about to do. One instant, she was still as a statue, and the next she was a racecar blazing across the ring. She moved into striking range and lashed out with a simple but savage 1-2-3 combination: a jab at Emily’s face, a cross aimed at her chest, and a low roundhouse aimed at her knees.

All without a single blink.

[Underdoggo]

Unsurprisingly, Zero made no reaction, not to Emily's words nor to her stance. She remained silent and motionless, staring at Emily with those sunken, unfeeling eyes of hers. Even as she slowly got into a fighting stance, there was a casual slowness to her movements that seemed at odds with her surroundings. God, Emily thought, this girl was even creepier up close.

And then the bell rang, and Zero exploded into movement.

The next thing Emily knew, a gloved fist was slamming across her cheek. "UGH!" she grunted, her head snapping to the side; her instincts kicked in, and she narrowly managed to block the cross aimed at her chest, but Zero still caught her a glancing blow, causing her to gasp from the impact. She narrowly managed to raise a leg to deflect the incoming knee strike, but by that point she was already staggering back, huffing from those two solid impacts Zero had already scored against her.

The Noble Fighter knew she had to counter-attack, and did so, lunging forward, faking a right hook at Zero's face. A feint, of course, as instead she aimed to drive a knee up into the slender girl's midsection and hopefully take the wind out of her sails.

[BlackAkuma]

Freia just whistled from the sidelines, watching as Zero came blazing out like a bullet. Times like this, she was so glad this woman was on their side. Creepy as all hell, yes, but when you wanted something done quick and efficient, you couldn't ask for better. She was like a heat-seeking missile - just aim, fire, and let her go.

That was the sort of cold fury that she brought to Emily, and things looked promising from the start, as the tiny terror scored the first hit of the match on Emily. The follow ups weren’t as successful, but it didn’t matter - she was driving the bigger woman back, already putting her on the back foot, and forcing her to start with a striking match, the exact thing you didn’t want to do against one of the best strikers Wrestle Angels had ever produced.

To her credit, Emily did better than most would, striking back with a fake out that worked. Her knee connected, struck Zero in the breadbasket, and sent her stumbling back…for a second. When that second passed, however, she was right back on the attack, moving in like she didn’t even feel it. Freia was reasonably sure the woman did feel pain, but getting her to show that on her face was another thing entirely.

She stepped in and threw out another low kick, low and shallow, one that missed Emily’s knee on purpose. It was a fake, a setup for the actual attack, as she kept twisting and shot out with her other leg, trying to drill her opponent in the stomach with a powerful spinning heel kick.

[Underdoggo]

The match was barely seconds old, and already Emily's adrenaline was pumping. Zero was fast, and aggressive, and the sheer suddenness of her attack would have left Emily K.O'd if she hadn't been more careful. It was only years of ring smarts that had enabled her to launch a timely counter that forced Zero back. Even then, it was only for w few seconds before the green haired terror came lunging in at her again.

Another strike came whistling in, this time at Emily's knee. Emily moved to sidestep it...and walked right into Zero's true strike, a kick that hammered hard into her midsection. "OOOOF!" The blow doubled Emily over, sending her staggering back, winded, as Zero landed the first true hit of the match...

[BlackAkuma]

From the sidelines, SA-KI could only smirk as she watched Zero go to work, attacking Emily like the mute pitbull everyone knew her to be. The four Fallen Angels trained together, sparred with each other, and she always hated going up against the little lunatic - she came at their practice matches like they were the real thing and always sent her back with aches and pain, even when she won the battle. Emly was going to be feeling this beatdown for weeks.

It wouldn’t be hard to see why, either, as the Massacre Ordinance continued to press her advantage. She moved in, dashing towards her opponent’s side as she reeled, not showing a single second of hesitation. Short as she was, her height worked well for what she had in mind, as she brought her leg up and shot her knee straight towards Emily’s face, going for a merciless shot on the nose.

God, SA-KI hoped she broke it. Would be funny as hell, this early in.